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HOUSE  OF  REPRESEtf*A¥tt  >er  24th,  I86S  —Read 

upon  th                     and  ordered  to  be 

prim 

Mr.  Perkins,  from  the  Commi  ■  on  "  ireign  Affairs.] 


A.  BILL 

To  be  entitled  An  Act  to  establish  a  Bureau  of  Foreign  Supplies. 

1  tion  1 .    The  Congress  of  the  Confederate  States  of  America  do 

2  enact,  That,  for  the  purpose  of  exporting  cotton  and  other  pro- 

3  duce  to  supply,   by  import,  the  military  and  other  necessities  of 
A  the   Government,  during  the  continuance  of  the   war  Avith  the 

5  United  States,  an  independent  bureau  of  the  War  Department  be 

6  established,  to  be  entitled  the  Bureau  of  Foreign  Supplies. 

1  Sec.  2.  Be  it  forth  .  That  the  said  bureau  shall  1  c 

2  charged  with  the  purchase  of  cotton  and  other  produce  for  expoi  tf 

3  and  with  all  the  duties  and  expenditures  connected  with  the  im- 
1  port  of  munitions  of  war,  and  such  other  supplies  as  may  be 
5  required  by  the  several  departments  of  the  Governments. 

1  Sec.  3.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  all  steamers  now  owned  by 

2  any  of  the  departments  of  the  Government,  and  used  to  supply 


2 

3  their  necessities  from  abroad,  and  all  contracts  for  the  increase 

4  of  the  number  of  such  steamers  and  vessels,  be  and  are  hereby 

5  transferred  to  said  bureau. 

1  Sec.  4.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  chief  of  the  said  bureau 

2  shall,  under  the  Secretary  of  War,  have  full  power  to  purchase 

3  and  contract  for  such  steamers  and  vessels,  to  be  owned  wholly 

4  or  in  part  by  the  Government,  as  may  be  necessary  for  the  dis- 

5  charge  of  the  duties  imposed  upon  the  bureau,  and  to  attain  the 
G  general  objests  of  its  establishment,  as  set  forth  in  the  first  sec- 
7  tion  of  this  act. 

1  Sec  5.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  all  permits  or  licenses  for 

2 ,  the  exportation  of  cotton  or  other  domestic  produce  on  private 

3  account,   that  may  be  authorized  bj  the  act  of  Congress  entitled 

4  "  An  Act,"  &c  ,  shall  be  issued  from  this  bureau,  under  such 

5  regulations  as  may  be  prescribed  in  the  said  act,  or  under  any 

6  authority  granted  therein  to  the  President,  the  Secretary  of  War, 

7  or  other  Department,  and  under  such  conditions  as  may  be  effec- 

8  tual  to   secure  the  fulfilment  of  the  objects  of  the  present  act: 

9  Provided,  That  nothing  in  the  present  act  shall  be  construed  to 

10  affect  the  export  of  cotton  or  other  produce  under  the  control  of 

11  the  Treasury  or  other  Department,   to  secure  any  of  the  bonds 

12  or  obligations  of  the  Confederate  States. 

1         Sec  6.  Be  it  farther  enacted,  That  the  said  bureau  shall  devote 

I  to  the  wants  of  the  several  departments  of  the  Government,  such 


com- 


3 

3  proportion  of  the  exporting  and  importing  facilities  at 

4  mand,  as  may  from  time  to  time  be  fixed  by  the  President. 

1  Sec.  7.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  said  bureau  shall  consist 

2  of  one  colonel,  and  such  subordinate  officers  as  may  be  necessary, 

3  said  agents  to  be  appointed  and  to  have  their  compensation  fixed 

4  by  the  Secretary  of  War. 


